ATLANTA (March 24, 2010) – Sen. Ed Harbison’s (D-Columbus) legislation (SB 498) ending the sales of synthetic marijuana in Georgia passed the Senate today with a unanimous vote. Recently, sale of synthetic marijuana also known as K2 or spice, have ballooned across the state. This bill would make the sale of these substances illegal, and add them to Schedule 1 on Georgia’s controlled substance list. Harbison was inspired to create the legislation after Atlanta area teens were hospitalized as a result of using the drug.
“Georgia citizens need to be protected from products that may cause irreversible harm to their bodies,” said Sen. Harbison. “Teens assume these drugs are harmless because they are so easily accessible. These drugs, however, are so dangerous it’s sending our young people to the emergency room.”
Additional substances on Schedule 1 of Georgia’s controlled substance list include heroin and meth. Use or sale of these substances carry the most severe penalties and are highly addictive. Synthetic marijuana is ten times stronger than marijuana, and cannot be detected by drug testing.
“These drugs are not harmless recreational substances, but actually potent concoctions of harmful materials that can cause a variety of problems. The manufactures for these products do not put the ingredients on packaging, and do not have to follow any type of regulated standards,” said Sen. Harbison. “We need to act now before we have an epidemic of people addicted to these substances.”
Harbison will continue to gain support for the legislation as it goes to the House.